Articles tagged with: central iowa financial planner

Seemingly everyone has heard of an IRA, but few people know about IRA trusts. Perhaps more people should, for an IRA trust may provide a way to “stretch” IRA assets for decades to benefit multiple generations.

An IRA trust is simply a revocable living trust designed to hold IRA assets. It will continue to house them after your death, but that will not prevent you from distributing those assets to your heirs. This is because an IRA trust also contains one or more sub-trusts, which can be designated and customized for your beneficiaries.1

At your option, these sub-trusts can be made lifetime dynasty trusts (sometimes called generation-skipping trusts). Dynasty trusts are complex, but they can potentially allow your grandchildren and great-grandchildren to receive distributions of IRA assets. The distributions may occur decades from now. That may be exactly what you prefer; you may want to give your IRA assets to your grandkids when they are in their forties instead of their twenties.1,2

Alternately, you can draft the sub-trusts as accumulation trusts or conduit trusts. An accumulation trust accepts the Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from the IRA, and the trust may only distribute them to the beneficiary at the discretion of the trustee. A conduit trust can pay out IRA RMDs to the beneficiaries as soon as the trust receives them (and as the trustee permits).1

IRA trusts are designed to guard against two things happening to your IRA assets. If your children or grandchildren just inherit your IRA, they could ask the IRA custodian to pay out its entire balance to them in a lump-sum distribution. That would waste the chance to “stretch” the invested IRA assets. In an IRA trust, a trustee oversees the IRA assets, effectively serving as a barrier to such a decision. In addition, since the IRA assets are parked within a trust, they are out of the reach of “predators and creditors,” ex-spouses, and the courts.1,3

You can also set up an IRA trust sub-trust as a special needs trust to benefit a disabled adult. Funds from a special needs trust will not impact the government assistance that person receives.3

Since an IRA trust is a revocable living trust, you are free to revise its terms at any point before your death (at which time the trust becomes irrevocable).1

You need a competent estate planner to create an IRA trust. An attorney designing one should be well versed in the specific legal terminology pertaining to inherited IRAs. Omitting or misusing key phrases could make the trust invalid or break IRS rules. Sub-trusts created within the IRA trust need to be named as primary or secondary beneficiaries of the IRA assets. As an example, naming the IRA trust as the beneficiary of your IRA is inconsistent with the purpose of the sub-trusts.1,4

A properly structured IRA trust can potentially “stretch” IRA assets for decades. If you have a large IRA and want your IRA assets to be carefully distributed after you pass away, this estate planning vehicle is worth exploring.

Mike Moffitt may be reached at ph# 641-782-5577 or email: rsmlbyer@mchsi.com

Website: www.cfgiowa.com

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Michael Moffitt is a Registered Representative with and Securities are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investments advice offered through Advantage Investment Management (AIM), a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Group and AIM are separate entities from LPL Financial.

Saving is a great start, but planning to reach your financial goals is even better.

Are you saving for retirement? Great. Are you planning for retirement? That is even better. Planning for your retirement and other long-range financial goals is an essential step – one that could make achieving those goals easier.

Saving without investing isn’t enough. Since interest rates are so low today, money in a typical savings account barely grows. It may not even grow enough to keep up with inflation, leaving the saver at a long-term financial disadvantage.

Very few Americans retire on savings alone. Rather, they invest some of their savings and retire mostly on the accumulated earnings those invested dollars generate over time.

Investing without planning usually isn’t enough. Most people invest with a general idea of building wealth, particularly for retirement. The problem is that too many of them invest without a plan. They are guessing how much money they will need once they leave work, and that guess may be way off. Some have no idea at all.

Growing and retaining wealth takes more than just investing. Along the way, you must plan to manage risk and defer or reduce taxes. A good financial plan – created with the assistance of an experienced financial professional – addresses those priorities while defining your investment approach. It changes over time, to reflect changes in your life and your financial objectives.

With a plan, you can set short-term and long-term goals and benchmarks. You can estimate the amount of money you will likely need to meet retirement, college, and health care expenses. You can plot a way to wind down your business or exit your career with confidence. You can also get a good look at your present financial situation – where you stand in terms of your assets and liabilities, the distance between where you are financially and where you would like to be.

Last year, a Gallup poll found that just 38% of investors had a written financial plan. Gallup asked those with no written financial strategy why they lacked one. The top two reasons? They just hadn’t taken the time (29%) or they simply hadn’t thought about it (27%).1

October is National Financial Planning Month – an ideal time to plan your financial future. The end of the year is approaching and a new one will soon begin, so this is the right time to think about what you have done in 2016 and what you could do in 2017. You might want to do something new; you may want to do some things differently. Your financial future is in your hands, so be proactive and plan.
Mike Moffitt may be reached at ph# 641-782-5577 or email: mikem@cfgiowa.com
Website: www.cfgiowa.com

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Michael Moffitt is a Registered Representative with and Securities are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investments advice offered through Advantage Investment Management (AIM), a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Group and AIM are separate entities from LPL Financial.

New statistics point out an alarming financial problem

$6,876. That is the average amount of credit card debt owed by an American household headed up by an individual aged 65-69.1

If you are newly retired or close to retiring, that figure may alarm you. It is more than twice the amount of Social Security’s maximum monthly income payment.2

Credit card use is surging, and seniors are taking on more revolving debt as part of the trend. That $6,876 figure comes from personal finance website ValuePenguin, which just published its latest yearly study on U.S. credit card debt. As ValuePenguin found, revolving debt shrinks little with age: in households headed up by those 75 and older, the mean credit card balance was $5,638.1

In the second quarter of 2016, Americans charged $34.4 billion to their credit cards. According to research from WalletHub, that was the biggest second-quarter jump seen in 30 years. Undoubtedly, this was a byproduct of the quarter’s 4.4% boost in consumer spending. All this recently added consumer debt would seem less troubling were it not for two other statistics. One, Americans paid down just $27.5 billion in revolving debt in Q1 2016, the least in any first quarter since 2008. Two, U.S. consumers piled on $71 billion in credit card debt during 2015, representing the greatest annual increase since 2007.3,4

It seems Americans are returning to their pre-recession credit card habits. The question is: to what degree are households paying with plastic by choice? Retiree households saddled with mortgages and education debt may feel pressured to use their credit cards. The National Council on Aging recently identified credit card debt as a major financial worry among seniors.2

How can your household counter the trend? Here are some steps that might help you ease your debt burden.

Try the snowball approach. This is the approach where you pay down the balance on the highest-interest card first, then the next highest-interest card, and so forth. You should always make the largest payment you can on your highest-interest debt.

Pay on time. Late fees are like an Achilles heel for many cardholders. They not only hurt your bank account, they hurt your credit score. (Conversely, improving your credit score may make your debt cheaper to pay off, and make it easier to refinance or arrange a consumer loan.)

Establish a budget. Most households do not live by a budget. Even retiree households can forget about the importance of budgeting. If you can rein in parts of your spending, you may find yourself a) using cash more often, and b) having cash left over to save, invest or pay down debt.

Use certain cards for certain things. If you have a large recurring debt, why not put it on your lowest-interest card for some savings? In fact, assigning as much debt as you can to a low-interest or zero-interest card positions you to pay down debt sooner, with smaller monthly payments.

Finally, consider ways to create more income. If you just cannot use credit cards less or live on less, then you must offset your credit card debt by a) earning more or b) selling assets or possessions to give you more cash, which can be used to attack the debt.

While you may always have some revolving debt, it is a potential strain on a comfortable retirement. See if you can buck the current trend in credit card use that seems to be driving mean credit card balances higher.

Mike Moffitt may be reached at ph# 641-782-5577 or email: mikem@cfgiowa.com
Website: www.cfgiowa.com

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Michael Moffitt is a Registered Representative with and Securities are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investments advice offered through Advantage Investment Management (AIM), a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Group and AIM are separate entities from LPL Financial.

How can households meet the challenge?

Are prescription drug costs burdening your finances? This problem is far too common today. Consider the price tag of some of the drugs used to treat arthritis, hepatitis C, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. A Kaiser Family Foundation study notes that the cost of medications such as Zytiga, Humira, Gleevec, and Revlimid may run anywhere from $4,000-12,000 a year. For the record, Medicare Part D’s catastrophic coverage threshold for prescription medications is currently $4,850 per year (up from $4,700 in 2015).1,2

How can a household try to manage drug costs? There are some approaches that may help.

Shop around & compare Part D plans annually. This year, the Part D recipients who were automatically re-enrolled in their plans faced monthly premiums averaging $41.46, a 13% rise from $36.38 in 2015. As you shop, keep in mind that plans with smaller premiums may have higher out-of-pocket costs. Some plans also limit monthly doses of certain drugs in their coverage, or request patients to try less costly drugs before branded drugs can be prescribed.3

Consider generics. Generic drugs represent nearly 90% of prescriptions written today and can cost 80-90% less than branded therapies. Sometimes generic alternatives are not available, but often they are.3

Stay within the plan network. If you do, you’ll discover that 85% of Part D plans offer preferred in-network pharmacies. If you go out of the network for non-preferred medications, your cost for those medications may rise. That said, shopping around at different pharmacies may yield some savings. Pharmacies located inside big-box retailers sometimes provide amazing savings on commonly prescribed medications.3

Ask a compounding pharmacy if it can make a medication for you. In such an instance, the savings could be substantial.

Ask your doctor if you can reduce your dose. If that is doable, it could mean monthly savings.

Use a pill cutter. Typically, you pay for drugs by the pill rather than the pill strength. A pill cutter (which you can usually pick up for less than $10) can be an avenue to savings. This is true for many prescription drugs.4
Try GoodRx. This app is free for your phone, and you can also visit GoodRx.com on your PC. GoodRx will give you a coupon so you can buy a prescription drug at the price it has negotiated with particular pharmacies in your area. In some cases, the discounts can be as large as 90%.4

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) & Roth IRAs may also be useful. If you do not yet qualify for Medicare coverage, you may have the option to create an HSA, which must be used in conjunction with a high-deductible health plan (the current IRS definition of a high-deductible is $1,300 for individuals and $2,600 for families). In 2016, individuals can put up to $3,350 into an HSA, families up to $6,750; those 55 or older may make an extra $1,000 catch-up contribution to their accounts. HSAs are funded with pre-tax dollars, so the contributions reduce your taxable income. HSA funds may be partly or wholly invested, and they can be withdrawn tax-free as long as they pay for qualified medical expenses. Accumulated HSA funds may be withdrawn and spent for any purpose once the accountholder turns 65; although, withdrawals will be taxed as regular income at that point if not used to pay for qualified health care costs.5

IRS Publication 502 defines the cost of prescription drugs (and insulin) as a qualified medical expense. Qualified medical expenses also include lab fees and the costs of eyeglasses and contact lenses, psychiatric care, and drug and alcohol rehab programs.5,6

If you are already a Medicare recipient, one unheralded approach is to use Roth IRA funds to help meet drug costs. Roth IRA withdrawals are voluntary if you are the original owner of the IRA, and they may be made tax-free if you follow IRS rules. Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from traditional IRAs represent taxable income, and those RMDs could put you in a higher tax bracket and even prompt a Medicare surcharge.3

Lastly, see your doctor on a regular basis. A routine checkup could alert you and your primary care physician to what could become a chronic ailment. If treated early, that ailment could possibly be allayed, even overcome. Undetected or untreated, it could result in a long-term health problem with long-run financial impact.

Mike Moffitt may be reached at ph# 641-782-5577 or email: mikem@cfgiowa.com
Website: www.cfgiowa.com

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Michael Moffitt is a Registered Representative with and Securities are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investments advice offered through Advantage Investment Management (AIM), a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Group and AIM are separate entities from LPL Financial.

Will the Trans-Pacific Partnership ever be ratified? Should it be?

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is back in the news. A new wave of controversy surrounds this huge trade deal, which has been agreed to, in principle, by 12 nations, but not yet ratified. Its adherents say that it would boost U.S. economic growth. Its detractors say that it would destroy more U.S. manufacturing jobs and doesn’t go far enough to halt environmental abuse.1

Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam have all committed to joining the TPP. These 12 countries generate about 40% of the world’s economic growth and about a third of global commerce. At least six of these nations must ratify the TPP in order for it to operate, and two of those six nations must be Japan and the United States. Therein lies the obstacle. Lawmakers in both Japan and the U.S. will certainly debate the merits of the agreement on the way to a 2017 vote, and there is a real possibility the deal could be struck down.1

What does the TPP aim to achieve? It would lower taxes on imports and exports – and get rid of them altogether in some instances. It would require other nations to adopt U.S. copyright terms on intellectual property (life of the creator + 70 years), counterattacking the flow of bootleg copies of movies, TV shows, and music plaguing entertainment firms.1

While the TPP does seek to remedy issues involving worker rights, climate change, overfishing, and the illegal killing and sale of exotic animals, it also gives private companies the opportunity to sue foreign governments. A privately held firm based in one TPP nation could, potentially, sue a government of another TPP nation if it felt that nation’s environmental laws had hurt its profits or caused it financial losses.1

The Obama administration has championed the TPP for years. After President Obama leaves office, it may be that his successor will not support it at all.

Donald Trump has called it a “terrible deal” that would constitute a “death blow” for the U.S. manufacturing sector. Hillary Clinton – who at first supported the TPP when she was Secretary of State – no longer supports the pact.1

Detractors of NAFTA see NAFTA all over again in the TPP. Unions, including the AFL-CIO, see the deal siphoning away U.S. jobs overseas. Environmental groups, like the Sierra Club, say it isn’t green enough. Advocates for online freedom and global health care have voiced their disapproval with TPP regulations. There is strong opposition to the TPP in our Congress and in Japan’s legislature.1

What does China think of the TPP? It has stayed on the sidelines during the agreement’s evolution. China already has free trade pacts in place with most TPP member nations, so it doesn’t really need to become a TPP member.1

In fact, the TPP can be considered a retort to China’s own long-planned, multilateral trade deal, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). If enacted, the RCEP would position China as the economic kingpin in a free trade alliance of many Asian nations. The U.S. has not been invited to join the RCEP.1,2

Is the TPP doomed? The odds of its passage in Congress may be lengthening. “Fast track” legislation intended to usher in that passage fell through earlier this year. Approval in the waning months of the Obama administration appears to be a longshot. This summer, Democrats nearly attached language opposing the TPP to their 2016 presidential campaign platform, and Republicans approved a platform statement opposing votes on major trade deals “in a Lame Duck Congress.” It appears it may be “now or never” for the TPP, and, after 2016, there is a real chance this long-envisioned trade pact may never get off the ground.3
Mike Moffitt may be reached at ph# 641-782-5577 or email: mikem@cfgiowa.com
Website: www.cfgiowa.com

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Michael Moffitt is a Registered Representative with and Securities are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investments advice offered through Advantage Investment Management (AIM), a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Group and AIM are separate entities from LPL Financial.

What steps should you take?

Whether you shop online routinely or infrequently, the risk of identity theft rises as you offer more and more information about yourself online.

Avoid using a debit card, and use only one credit card. If your debit card gets hacked, the thieves may be able to access your bank account. But if you use just one credit card for online shopping, you will have only one card to cancel if your card number is compromised. (It would also be wise to keep a low credit limit on that particular card.)

Look for the “https://” before you enter personal information. When you see that (look for the “s”), it should indicate that you are transmitting data within a secure site. Depending on your browser, you may also see a padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser window

Watch what you click – and watch out for fake sites. Pop-ups, attachments from mysterious sources, dubious links – do not be tempted to explore where they lead. Hackers have created all manner of “phishing” sites and online surveys – seemingly legitimate, but set up to siphon your information. It is better to be skeptical.

Protect your PC. When did you install the security and firewall programs on your computer? Have you updated them recently?

Change stored passwords frequently. Make them unique and obscure. It is a good idea to change or update your passwords once in a while. Mix letters and numbers, and use an uppercase letter if possible. Never use “password” or your birth date as your password!

Don’t shop using an unsecured wi-fi connection. You are really leaving yourself open to identity theft if you shop using public wi-fi. Put away the laptop and wait until you are on a secure, private internet connection. Hackers can tap into your Smartphone via the same tactics by which they can invade your PC.

Mike Moffitt may be reached at ph#641-344-0328 or email mikem@cfgiowa.com

Michael Moffitt is a Registered Representative with and Securities are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investments advice offered through Advantage Investment Management (AIM), a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Group and AIM are separate entities from LPL Financial.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.

Doing the right things at the right time may leave you wealthier later.

What can you do to start building wealth before age 35? You know time is your friend and that the earlier you begin saving and investing for the future, the better your financial prospects may become. So what steps should you take?

Reduce your debt. You probably have some student loan debt to pay off. According to the Institute for College Access and Success, which tracks college costs, the average education debt owed by a college graduate is now $28,950. Hopefully, yours is not that high and you are paying off whatever education debt remains via an automatic monthly deduction from your checking account. If you are struggling to pay your student loan off, take a look at some of the income-driven repayment plans offered to federal student loan borrowers, and options for refinancing your loan into a lower-rate one (which could potentially save you thousands).1

You cannot build wealth simply by wiping out debt, but freeing yourself of major consumer debts frees you to build wealth like nothing else. The good news is that saving, investing, and reducing your debt are not mutually exclusive. As financially arduous as it may sound, you should strive to do all three at once. If you do, you may be surprised five or ten years from now at the transformation of your personal finances.

Save for retirement. If you are working full-time for a decently-sized employer, chances are a retirement plan is available to you. If you are not automatically enrolled in the plan, go ahead and sign up for it. You can contribute a little of each paycheck. Even if you start by contributing only $50 or $100 per pay period, you will start far ahead of many of your peers.1

Away from the workplace, traditional IRAs offer you the same perks. Roth IRAs and Roth workplace retirement plans are the exceptions – when you “go Roth,” your contributions are not tax-deductible, but you can eventually withdraw the earnings tax-free after age 59½ as long as you abide by IRS rules.1,2

Workplace retirement plans are not panaceas – they can charge administrative fees exceeding 1% and their investment choices can sometimes seem limited. Consumer pressure is driving these administrative fees down, however; in 2015, they were lower than they had been in a decade and they are expected to lessen further.3

Keep an eye on your credit score. Paying off your student loans and getting started saving for retirement are a great start, but what about your immediate future? You’re entitled to three free credit reports per year from TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. Take advantage of them and watch for unfamiliar charges and other suspicious entries. Be sure to get in touch with the company that issued your credit report if you find anything that shouldn’t be there. Maintaining good credit can mean a great deal to your long-term financial goals, so monitoring your credit reports is a good habit to get into.1

Do not fear Wall Street. We all remember the Great Recession and the wild ride investments took. The stock market plunged, but then it recovered – in fact, the S&P 500 index, the benchmark that is synonymous in investing shorthand for “the market,” gained back all the loss from that plunge in a little over four years. Two years later, it reached new record peaks, and it is only a short distance from those peaks today.4

Equity investments – the kind Wall Street is built on – offer you the potential for double-digit returns in a good year. As interest rates are still near historic lows, many fixed-income investments are yielding very little right now, and cash just sits there. If you want to make your money grow faster than inflation – and you certainly do – then equity investing is the way to go. To avoid it is to risk falling behind and coming up short of retirement money, unless you accumulate it through other means. Some workplace retirement plans even feature investments that will direct a sizable portion of your periodic contribution into equities, then adjust it so that you are investing more conservatively as you age.

Invest regularly; stay invested. When you keep putting money toward your retirement effort and that money is invested, there can often be a snowball effect. In fact, if you invest $5,000 at age 25 and just watch it sit there for 35 years as it grows 6% a year, the math says you will have $38,430 with annual compounding at age 60. In contrast, if you invest $5,000 each year under the same conditions, with annual compounding you are looking at $596,050 at age 60. That is a great argument for saving and investing consistently through the years.5

Mike Moffitt may be reached at ph#: 641-782-5577 or email: mikem@cfgiowa.com
Website: www.cfgiowa.com

Michael Moffitt is a Registered Representative with and Securities are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investments advice offered through Advantage Investment Management (AIM), a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Group and AIM are separate entities from LPL Financial.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

What degree of difference could they make for you in retirement?

At a certain age, you are allowed to boost your yearly retirement account contributions. For example, you can direct an extra $1,000 per year into a Roth or traditional IRA starting in the year you turn 50.1

Your initial reaction to that may be: “So what? What will an extra $1,000 a year in retirement savings really do for me?”

That reaction is understandable, but consider also that you can contribute an extra $6,000 a year to many workplace retirement plans starting at age 50. As you likely have both types of accounts, the opportunity to save and invest up to $7,000 a year more toward your retirement savings effort may elicit more enthusiasm.1,2

What could regular catch-up contributions from age 50-65 potentially do for you? They could result in an extra $1,000 a month in retirement income, according to the calculations of retirement plan giant Fidelity. To be specific, Fidelity says that an employee who contributes $24,000 instead of $18,000 annually to the typical employer-sponsored plan could see that kind of positive impact.2

To put it another way, how would you like an extra $50,000 or $100,000 in retirement savings? Making regular catch-up contributions might help you bolster your retirement funds by that much – or more. Plugging in some numbers provides a nice (albeit hypothetical) illustration.3

Even if you simply make $1,000 additional yearly contributions to a Roth or traditional IRA starting in the year you turn 50, those accumulated catch-ups will grow and compound to about $22,000 when you are 65 if the IRA yields just 4% annually. At an 8% annual return, you will be looking at about $30,000 extra for retirement. (Besides all this, a $1,000 catch-up contribution to a traditional IRA can also reduce your income tax bill by $1,000 for that year.)3

If you direct $24,000 a year rather than $18,000 a year into one of the common workplace retirement plans starting at age 50, the math works out like this: you end up with about $131,000 in 15 years at a 4% annual return, and $182,000 by age 65 at an 8% annual return.3

If your financial situation allows you to max out catch-up contributions for both types of accounts, the effect may be profound indeed. Fifteen years of regular, maximum catch-up contributions to both an IRA and a workplace retirement plan would generate $153,000 by age 65 at a 4% annual yield, and $212,000 at an 8% annual yield.3

The more you earn, the greater your capacity to “catch up.” This may not be fair, but it is true.

Fidelity says its overall catch-up contribution participation rate is just 8%. The average account balance of employees 50 and older making catch-ups was $417,000, compared to $157,000 for employees who refrained. Vanguard, another major provider of employer-sponsored retirement plans, finds that 42% of workers aged 50 and older who earn more than $100,000 per year make catch-up contributions to its plans, compared with 16% of workers on the whole within that demographic.2

Even if you are hard-pressed to make or max out the catch-up each year, you may have a spouse who is able to make catch-ups. Perhaps one of you can make a full catch-up contribution when the other cannot, or perhaps you can make partial catch-ups together. In either case, you are still taking advantage of the catch-up rules.

Catch-up contributions should not be dismissed. They can be crucial if you are just starting to save for retirement in middle age or need to rebuild retirement savings at mid-life. Consider making them; they may make a significant difference for your savings effort.

Mike Moffitt may be reached at ph# 641-782-5577 or email: mikem@cfgiowa.com
Website: www.cfgiowa.com

Michael Moffitt is a Registered Representative with and Securities are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investments advice offered through Advantage Investment Management (AIM), a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Group and AIM are separate entities from LPL Financial.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Have you been putting it off?

A March 2011 survey from Genworth Financial and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business found that almost 70% of single parents and 45% of married parents were living without any coverage.1

Why don’t more young adults buy life insurance? Shopping for life insurance may seem confusing, boring, or unnecessary. Yet when you have kids, get married, buy a house or live a lifestyle funded by significant salaries, the need arises.

Finding the right policy may be simpler than you think. There are two basic types of life insurance: term and cash value. Cash value (or “permanent”) life insurance policies offer death benefits and some of the characteristics of an investment – a percentage of the money you spend to fund the policy goes into a savings program. Cash value policies have correspondingly higher premiums than term policies, which give you death benefits only and have terms of 10 years or longer. Term may be a good choice for young adults because it is relatively inexpensive. But there is an economic downside to term life coverage: if you outlive the term of the policy, you and/or your loved ones get nothing back. Term life policies can be renewed (though many are not) and some can be converted to permanent coverage.2

The key question is: how long do you plan to keep the policy? If you don’t want to pay premiums on an insurance policy for more than 10 years, then term life stands out as the most attractive option. If you are just looking for a short-term hedge against calamity, that’s the whole reason behind term life insurance. If you’re getting into estate planning, then permanent life insurance may prove a better choice.

Confer, compare and contrast. Talk with a financial or insurance professional you trust before plunking down money for a policy. That professional can perform a term-versus-permanent analysis for you and help you weigh per-policy variables.

Mike Moffitt may be reached at Ph: 641-782-5577 or email: mikem@cfgiowa.com

Michael Moffitt is a Registered Representative with and Securities are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investments advice offered through Advantage Investment Management (AIM), a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Group and AIM are separate entities from LPL Financial.

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